Connected phone system and method with associated bandwidth connections in a vehicle environment

Abstract

A system and method for connection management between a consumer device and a vehicle. The connection management is performed automatically using a computing device, e.g., an application executing on a smartphone. The system and method configure the vehicle and consumer device in a manner that optimizes the vehicle and consumer device connections based on a variety of factors such as available connections/ports and protocols to be used.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for connecting data related to a first and second feature, the first and second feature data communicated from at least one device to a vehicle comprising the steps of:
 determining available device connections of the device, wherein the device is not permanently affixed to the vehicle, said available device connections include one or more wired connections and one or more wireless connections; 
 determining available vehicle connections of the vehicle, said available vehicle connections include one or more wired connections and one or more wireless connections; 
 identifying first feature device connections, including a first and second device connection capable of communicating data related to the first feature; 
 identifying second feature device connections, including a third and forth device connection capable of communicating data related to the second feature; 
 identifying at least one vehicle connection, including a first vehicle connection, capable of communicating with at least one of said first and second device connections; 
 identifying at least one vehicle connection, including a second vehicle connection, capable of communicating with at least one of said third and forth device connections; 
 using a first set of guidelines to assign at least one device connection and at least one vehicle connection to each of the first and second features based on said first feature device connections, second feature device connections, said first vehicle connection, and said second vehicle connection; 
 transmitting said assigned at least one device connection and at least one vehicle connection for the first feature to the device and to the vehicle; and 
 transmitting said assigned at least one device connection and at least one vehicle connection for the second feature to the device and to the vehicle. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said vehicle connections include at least one of a Bluetooth based protocol, an HDMI connection, a Wi-Fi connection, an infrared based protocol, an auxiliary jack or a connection from a battery electric vehicle charging station. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the devices is a mobile communication device. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said first set of guidelines include:
 identifying a first set of device connections that can support successfully transmitting data for providing said first feature; and 
 identifying a first set of vehicle connections that can support successfully transmitting data for providing said first feature. 
 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 4 , wherein said first set of guidelines includes:
 determining whether a bandwidth of each device connection in said first set of device connections can support said first feature. 
 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 4 , wherein said first set of guidelines include:
 identifying a second set of device connections that can support successfully transmitting data for providing said second feature; and 
 identifying a second set of vehicle connections that can support successfully transmitting data for providing said second feature. 
 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 6 , wherein said first set of guidelines includes:
 determining whether a bandwidth of each device connection in said second set of device connections can support said second feature. 
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1  wherein said step of using a first set of guidelines includes:
 using said first set of guidelines to assign a first connection pair having at least one device connection and at least one vehicle connection for supporting communication of said first feature between the device and the vehicle, said first set of guidelines based on said first feature device connections, second feature device connections, said first vehicle connection, and said second vehicle connection; and 
 using said first set of guidelines to assign a second connection pair having at least one device connection and at least one vehicle connection for supporting communication of said second feature between the device and the vehicle, said first set of guidelines based on said first feature device connections, second feature device connections, said first vehicle connection, and said second vehicle connection. 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1  wherein said assigned at least one device connection and assigned at least one vehicle connection support a wireless connection between the device and vehicle. 
     
     
       10. A system for connecting data related to a first and second feature, comprising:
 a vehicle; 
 a first device, not permanently affixed to said vehicle capable of providing a data for a first and second feature; 
 a connections manager, wherein said connections manager
 identifies available device connections of the first device, and to identify available vehicle connections of the vehicle, said available device connections include one or more wired connections and one or more wireless connections, 
 identifies first feature device connections, including a first and second device connection capable of communicating data related to the first feature, 
 identifies second feature device connections, including a third and forth device connection capable of communicating data related to the second feature, 
 identifies at least one vehicle connection, including a first vehicle connection, capable of communicating with at least one of said first and second device connections, said available vehicle connections include one or more wired connections and one or more wireless connections, 
 identifies at least one vehicle connection, including a second vehicle connection, capable of communicating with at least one of said third and forth device connections, 
 having a first set of guidelines to assign at least one device connection and at least one vehicle connection to each of the first and second features based on said first feature device connections, second feature device connections, said first vehicle connection, and said second vehicle connection; and 
 
 a communications system for transmitting said assigned at least one device connection and at least one vehicle connection for the first feature to the device and to the vehicle, and transmitting said assigned at least one device connection and at least one vehicle connection for the second feature to the device and to the vehicle. 
 
     
     
       11. The System of  claim 10 , wherein said vehicle connections include at least one of a Bluetooth based protocol, an HDMI connection, a Wi-Fi connection, an infrared based protocol, an auxiliary jack or a connection from a battery electric vehicle charging station. 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 11 , wherein said first set of guidelines determines whether a bandwidth of each device connection in said first set of device connections can support said first feature. 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 10 , wherein at least one of the devices is a mobile communication device. 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 10 , wherein said first set of guidelines identify a first set of device connections that can support successfully transmitting data for providing said first feature; and identify a first set of vehicle connections that can support successfully transmitting data for providing said first feature. 
     
     
       15. A computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable program instructions for connecting data related to a first and second feature, the first and second feature data communicated from at least one device to a vehicle, the instructions when executed cause the at least one processor to perform steps including:
 determining available device connections of the device, wherein the device is not permanently affixed to the vehicle, said available device connections include one or more wired connections and one or more wireless connections; 
 determining available vehicle connections of the vehicle, said available vehicle connections include one or more wired connections and one or more wireless connections; 
 identifying first feature device connections, including a first and second device connection capable of communicating data related to the first feature; 
 identifying second feature device connections, including a third and forth device connection capable of communicating data related to the second feature; 
 identifying at least one vehicle connection, including a first vehicle connection, capable of communicating with at least one of said first and second device connections; 
 identifying at least one vehicle connection, including a second vehicle connection, capable of communicating with at least one of said third and forth device connections; 
 using a first set of guidelines to assign at least one device connection and at least one vehicle connection to each of the first and second features based on said first feature device connections, second feature device connections, said first vehicle connection, and said second vehicle connection; 
 transmitting said assigned at least one device connection and at least one vehicle connection for the first feature to the device and to the vehicle; and 
 transmitting said assigned at least one device connection and at least one vehicle connection for the second feature to the device and to the vehicle. 
 
     
     
       16. The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein said vehicle connections include at least one of a Bluetooth based protocol, an HDMI connection, a Wi-Fi connection, an infrared based protocol, an auxiliary jack or a connection from a battery electric vehicle charging station. 
     
     
       17. The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein at least one of the devices is a mobile communication device. 
     
     
       18. The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 15  wherein said first set of guidelines include:
 identifying a first set of device connections that can support successfully transmitting data for providing said first feature; and 
 identifying a first set of vehicle connections that can support successfully transmitting data for providing said first feature. 
 
     
     
       19. The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 18 , wherein said first set of guidelines includes:
 determining whether a bandwidth of each device connection in said first set of device connections can support said first feature. 
 
     
     
       20. The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein said step of using a first set of guidelines includes:
 using a first set of guidelines to assign a first connection pair having at least one device connection and at least one vehicle connection for supporting communication of said first feature between the device and the vehicle, said first set of guidelines based on said first feature device connections, second feature device connections, said first vehicle connection, and said second vehicle connection; and 
 using said first set of guidelines to assign a second connection pair having at least one device connection and at least one vehicle connection for supporting communication of said second feature between the device to the vehicle, said first set of guidelines based on said first feature device connections, second feature device connections, said first vehicle connection, and said second vehicle connection.